So I didn't requalify for SEN this year
Those Z fares have gone through the roof and I can't justify $3600 RT all the time on my dime...

So I got this email... €2000 is a hefty price tag for one year but I'd love to hear some thoughts...

Dear Dr. xxx

As a Senator, you enjoy numerous benefits and privileges and our special attention. I am therefore writing you today, to bring to your attention, that your Senator status expires at the end of February 2009.

As of 24 September 2008 your Miles & More account was showing that you accrued XXXXX status miles. In order to renew your status, you need 100,000 status miles. The missing status miles can easily be earned with the following Miles & More airline partners – on flights operated by Lufthansa, Lufthansa Private Jet, Adria Airways, Air Dolomiti, Air One, Austrian Airlines, Cirrus Airlines, Croatia Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, SWISS and other Star Alliance carriers.

If you are not able to earn the required number of status miles before 31 December 2008, you have the option to extend your Senator status another calendar year for a fee of 2,000 Euros. The relevant fax form can be downloaded here as a PDF.

If either of the above options to extend your status is not feasible, you will receive a Frequent Traveller card in the new year, which also entitles you to many benefits. As soon as you have earned 100.000 status miles, you will of course be sent a new Senator card.

We wish you a pleasant flight with us or any of our airline partners and would be delighted to continue to welcome you on board as a Senator.

But of course it's much cheaper to spend a few more EUR to top of the mileage balance to 100k instead of spending 2k EUR for one year of SEN (EUR 4k for 2 years).

SEN (for 2 years) can easily be FLOWN for 5k EUR (and you get more than 100k miles in return), but if you already have some status miles in your account, it's obviously cheaper.

Personally, I've booked an interesting MUC-CAI-BKK(-HAN/SGN-BKK)-CAI-MUC-HKG-MNL-HKG-SFO-YVR-SFO-HKG-MUC-CAI(-ASW-CAI)-MUC-Trip for next year (so far on LH, MS, SQ, CX and AF, all in paid F and C) in order to requalify and get to know a few interesting locations and airlines. Cost about EUR 7-8k.

Good points. But how can you possibly get SEN with 5000eur? That seems low to me unless you're flying CMB-somewhere...

Quite easily. Currently, there are a few popular discounted C class MRs ex Switzerland (weekends), or the recently popular MS flights ex Europe to Asia or South Africa. There's also a MR opportunity over Croatia. And of course the U.S. offers plenty of opportunities with domestic trips in 3 class F.

EUR 5k is actually quite high, if you push it, you can have SEN even cheaper. However, the experience could be boring and/or uncomfortable.

Personally, I'm not into MRs but prefer to turn the requalifying procedure into an interesting travel experience. In my case, it will take me all year to fly the before mentioned route between Januar and November 2009, with 3-5 nested tickets, all of them fully flexible regarding rebooking (and pretty much fully refundable), which is nice, as plan(e)s can change.

How about HON CIRCLE can anyone get it by purchasing it and paying for example Euro 10k or 15K ? I know a lot of people who are interested in getting HON CIRCLE status but they hate to fly the 300k hon miles a year to get it.

How about HON CIRCLE can anyone get it by purchasing it and paying for example Euro 10k or 15K ? I know a lot of people who are interested in getting HON CIRCLE status but they hate to fly the 300k hon miles a year to get it.

It is not about buying a new status, only about extending (SEN) status.

How about HON CIRCLE can anyone get it by purchasing it and paying for example Euro 10k or 15K ? I know a lot of people who are interested in getting HON CIRCLE status but they hate to fly the 300k hon miles a year to get it.

How about HON CIRCLE can anyone get it by purchasing it and paying for example Euro 10k or 15K ? I know a lot of people who are interested in getting HON CIRCLE status but they hate to fly the 300k hon miles a year to get it.

Yes, what a pain indeed ! Actually having to fly LH/LX metal to obtain their top tier customer status: quite outrageous !